SANTA FE SPRINGS – A worker at a cement plant was trapped in sand up to his waist for nearly two hours Thursday before firefighters dug him out and took him by helicopter to a hospital.

Firefighters identified the victim as Miguel Gonzalez, whose age and place of residence were not immediately known. Gonzalez was half-buried at about 2 p.m. inside a sand hopper, which holds sand, rocks and water used in the manufacture of concrete, fire officials said.

Although Gonzalez was awake and alert throughout the rescue, officials transported him to St. Francis Medical Center in Lynwood as a precaution.

No information was available on his condition.

Rescuers were worried that Gonzalez had spent nearly two hours encased up to his waist in sand, which can apply up to 100 pounds of pressure per cubic foot, said Santa Fe Springs Fire Department Battalion Chief Scott Goodwin.

Sandy Mazza is a freelancer. She previously worked for Southern California News Group as a city reporter covering Carson and Hawthorne and specializing in features about Los Angeles' growing Silicon Beach tech, bioscience, and aerospace sectors.